I came across a fascinating post in the Mediavine Facebook group about what took a blog from a hobby to full-time.
Do you have a blog that you work on in your spare time? One that you pour passion into, but don’t make any money from? If you’ve ever dreamed of turning your hobby blog into a full-time career, this post is for you.
Becoming a professional blogger is not as far-fetched as you might think. Bloggers are small business owners who have found a way to monetize their websites – some are even able to replace their normal 9-5 job with full-time blogging income.
With hard work and dedication, it is possible to join their ranks.
My free blogging course covers everything from finding niche topics to writing compelling content to building your audience and increasing traffic. You’ll also learn about common blogging monetization strategies. By the end, you’ll know exactly what steps to take to transform your blog from a money-losing hobby into a career you love.
In the meantime, here’s some firsthand advice on what it really takes to go from hobby to full-time blogging professional!
Focus on Growing Your Traffic
Driving more visitors to your site is crucial if you want to monetize your blog. Focus on promoting your best content and getting it in front of your target audience. Search engine optimization, social media marketing, guest posting, and influencer partnerships can steadily increase your monthly traffic. More eyeballs on your content creates opportunities to convert readers into paying customers.
Ignore Social Media
This may be a surprise to you but I’ve found it to be true: Most social media networks will not bring you the traffic you think they will. While Instagram is glamorous and “cool,” it rarely results in page views to your blog – where the real money is made. The only social media I would focus on is Pinterest – but only after you’ve mastered SEO.
Give it Time
Don’t expect your blog to replace your day job overnight. Building an audience and establishing credibility takes patience and persistence. Focus on consistently publishing high-quality content. It can take over a year of regular blogging to begin seeing meaningful revenue. Be patient, keep learning and improving, and give your blog time to blossom.
Focus on Direct ROI Tasks
Not all tasks translate into direct financial gains for your blog business. Focus first on revenue-driving activities like creating products, promoting affiliate offers, directly selling ads, or offering consulting services. Things like branding, social media growth, and audience engagement are important but have indirect returns. Prioritize actions tied to measurable revenue.
Increase Content Production
Look at your blog analytics and create more of your best-performing content. Produce more of what resonates with your audience.
Work with Brands to Promote Their Products
Focus on affiliate marketing and get a commission for all sales you refer to brands that resonate with your readers. Choose brands that align with your interests and work with companies you truly love. Focus on companies that offer at least 10% sales commisssions.
Master SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) draws targeted visitors from Google and other search engines. Master keyword research, on-page SEO, backlinks, site speed, and related best practices. The higher you rank for valuable keywords, the more organic traffic finds your content and brand. Traffic is the lifeblood of making money blogging.
Create a Media Brand You’re Proud Of
If you want to command premium attention, you need a polished, professional brand. Invest time in your blog’s visual identity with logos, color palettes, a good theme, designated fonts, etc. Carry this branding through your content, email campaigns, and products. Build a consistent experience visitors associate with quality. This establishes credibility and trust. Make your blog a place people want to come back and visit.
Operate Your Blog Like a True Business
Set concrete income goals, track expenses, understand tax implications, and make data-driven decisions. Professional bloggers run their sites like businesses, not hobbies. Getting clear on your numbers and metrics helps identify profitable opportunities and cut out activities that don’t provide ROI. Think like an entrepreneur.
Outsource Tasks to Assistants
Consider leveraging affordable virtual assistants, freelancers or agencies to save time on non-revenue activities. Outsource social media help, content creation, graphic design, email sequences, community management etc. This allows you to direct your energy on the tasks that actually drive income for your blogging business. Focus on what you do best and outsource the rest!
Give It Your All
One woman noted that quitting her job was the key to making it big. “I quit after I was making $2k a month consistently for 4 months straight. As soon as I had full-time hours to dedicate to growth, that was the magic bullet.”
Take a Leap of Faith
Some people just gave it a go with only a few thousand in income. They knew that they could always return to the work force if it didn’t work out – but thankfully, it did!